Suffering can be eliminated and this can be done by following the noble eightfold path. This eightfold path describes the way in which people should live their lives. That is to have the right understanding, thoughts, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. Meditation is important in Buddhist religion as through meditation the Buddha was able to clear his mind and see the truth in existence and suffering. This meditation helped the Buddha reach enlightenment.
Buddhists do not turn to him looking for salvation: “A Buddhist does not seek refuge in the Buddha with the hope that he will be saved by his personal purification” (Thera, 2012). A god provides their followers with support and strength in their times of need, and Buddhism takes this idea of finding salvation in a god to finding salvation in oneself through self-realization and reflection. It teaches Buddhists that they are responsible for their own purification. They turn to themselves to find strength in place of praying to a god. They strive to achieve redemption through meditation: “Instead of petitional prayers, there is meditation that leads to self-control, purification, and enlightenment” (McGhee, 2013).
The process of understanding the patient and making that connection is valuable especially when there is a relation between one’s health and spirituality. Even though the medicine and treatment procedures help the patient with curing the illness, there is that factor of spirituality that goes into complete recovery. That’s where it’s important for the health care professional to go outside of the medicine routine to make that connection and help the recovery process. Healing hospitals have different components that would help relax a patient’s or family’s mind and body which will only benefit them physiologically. According to Lane (2005), when body is relaxed it helps to lower blood pressure and heart rate, increase blood flow to the GI system and endorphins are released to the brain.
So we’ll have to escape the sufferings ourselves. Buddhists follow Buddha’s teachings and Buddha said he only teaches what causes suffering and how to free oneself from it. Thus whether there is a higher power is not relavent to Buddhism. Another reason why Buddhist don’t believe in soul (god) is because they think only they can save themselves from suffering. They reject the idea of human sacrifices and animal sacrifices in Hinduism and how by doing that god would help release them from suffering.
Buddhist religious ethical teachings, such as the Vinaya Pitaka, instruct adherents to avoid any actions, through body or speech, that may be harmful to oneself or to others. Tipitaka means three baskets, and is divided into Vinaya pitaka, the basket of discipline, Suttapitaka, the basket of discourses and Abhidhammapitaka, the basket concerning teaching. The Vinaya is the first division of ethical teachings in the Tipitaka. The rules and teachings found in the Vinaya help members to avoid harming others, practise moderation and purify their minds. The most important guidelines or rules are refraining from sexual intercourse, theft, taking human life and falsely proclaiming miraculous powers.
Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama during the 6th century B.C, puts great emphasis on the concept that there is no “self” but instead that everything is an illusion. Buddhists strive to separate themselves from the physical world because it is full of suffering and to seek enlightenment. Their greatest form of achievement is nirvana. What were some of the similarities you saw between the two religions? Both religions believe in seeking wisdom to achieve a greater status.
1) With reference to the topic you have investigated, examine and comment on the contribution that one or more religions make to applied ethics. Buddhism on War and Peace (Grade B) Buddhism is essentially a pacifist tradition that focuses on ending suffering (dukkha) and liberating oneself from Samsara (cycle of life, death and rebirth). Buddhism has been quoted to be the world's most peaceful religion that has made a lot of contribution to many ethical issues in the world including to the issue of war and peace. In order to understand where Buddhist ethics derived, we must look at the first teaching of the Buddha, the Deer Park Sermon in which he describes the Four Noble Truths. The first noble truth is the existence of suffering (dukkha) of which there are three types: dukkha-dukkah (ordinary suffering) viparinama-dukkha (suffering of impermanence) and sankhara-dukkha (suffering of no self).
It was mentioned in a seminar discussion that Health Care Professionals have a professional responsibility to be aware of cultural differences and diversity in order to encourage self enlightenment. Providing care and interventions that not only makes a positive difference, but also do so in ways that respect and value diversity is now high on the agenda for Mental Health Practice (UK DoH, 2004). It is important that Health Care Professionals recognise that it is inevitable that they will provide care for members of society who come from a diverse background. NHS Kensington and Chelsea provide services to an ethnically and culturally diverse community. With over 100 languages spoken, nearly half of all residents are born outside the UK.
Buddhism and Hindrances At their core, Gautham Buddha's teachings are a prescription for ethical conduct in the world. By cultivating wisdom you minimize harm to yourself and the people and planet around you. By embracing meditation, you find a path to find peace in the midst of everyday chaos and a world riddled with uncertainty. Ethical conduct is a foundation for meditation and wisdom, but this is not morality for the sake of morality or social control. Gautham Buddha intended his philosophy to be a practical one, aimed at the happiness of all creatures.
Byock describes essential elements of a good death to include: a safe enviroment where basic human needs of shelter, food and nurture are well provided. He also states that physical symptoms, especially pain are aggressively well managed to help minimize physical suffering, and the opportunity to pursue issues of human development approriate to the end of life are supported. Byock describes basic task of value to patients and their families. When my sister was diagnois with cancer, and was told that she will not live. We experienced what Byock would diagnoised call a good death.